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30 September 2011

WINZ Newsletter, Issue No 38

EDITORIAL

Josephine Sithole-Muganiwa: WINZ Board Chairperson

We are grateful to the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust for assisting us spread the word of who we are and ensuring networking takes place. We are also grateful for their involvement in the various festivals around the country and sponsorship of individual authors. They are an integral part of the culture industry in Zimbabwe.

We are still calling for contributions in indigenous languages as they fully express our cultural heritage. Some words cannot be translated into English and even with those that can be translated the full essence is lost along the translation chain.

So let us write, ngatinyorei, kasibhaleni!

WIN-ZIMBABWE TO UNVEIL NEW BROCHURE

By WINZ Staff Writer

There is no retreat or surrender for WIN-Zimbabwe as the association will soon replace its black & white brochure with a new & exciting one proudly sponsored by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust (CFZT).

The new tri-fold brochure naturally gives WIN-Zimbabwe a glossy look and will conveniently answer simple questions about what the writers’ association subscribes to, its major activities, objectives, among other details.

The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust threw the life-line to the new writers’ association as a gesture demonstrative of the Trust’s support to the development of new literary initiatives in Zimbabwe.

WIN-Zimbabwe Board Chairperson Josephine Sithole-Muganiwa said she appreciates what CFZT has done for her association.

“As WINZ we acknowledge the invaluable support in form of funding our business cards and brochures from the Culture Fund. It comes just at the right time when we are on a major drive to promote networking and reach out to the nation,” she said.

Muganiwa commented the Culture Fund for its sterling job in promoting the culture industry in Zimbabwe.

“We are grateful to have benefited from them,” said Muganiwa.

WIN-Zimbabwe, formed in 2010, is in the process of laying down a strong foundation upon which it intends to establish permanent infrastructure for new writers and its flagship e-newsletter (the WINZ Newsletter) is slowly becoming a source of information and inspiration for many writers.

CFZT is led by its Executive Director Farai Mupfunya (pictured) and was established and registered as a Trust in 2006 to contribute to the culture sector in Zimbabwe by providing finance and technical support to cultural practitioners, institutions and activities. To date, the Culture Fund has unveiled financial and technical support to various artistic initiatives, including projects designed to uplift languages and literature in Zimbabwe.

THE REGULAR WRITER

With

Tinashe ‘Mutumwapavi’ Muchuri

Internalizing the verse

There is no straight formula for internalizing your verse. Different ways works for different poets. I have a few words for those who want to recite their pieces without forgetting a line. Rehearsing is important only if the words are now flowing within you. Rehearsals will help you shape your presentation. Rehearsals help you work out your correct pronunciation of words. It helps you also in matching your gestures with what the verse says.

I want to concentrate on the advanced stage of rehearsal that is, internalizing the verse. It starts with reading loud and listening to yourself. Here you are the audience of your own performance. After every reading you ask yourself, “If I were part of the audience will I clap for this performer (me)?” If you get satisfied with the fluency of your loud reading, then you embark on the journey to internalizing the verse. Internalizing the verse requires much concentration. Some poets do some exercises to prepare the body for this duty. If truth be said, this duty needs a body that is at peace with itself.

But some poets argue that they concentrate much in a noisy place. It is undeniable however that some people are capable of reading novels or performing in a noisy beer hall with revelers chanting alongside their verse discordantly and the disco playing in the background.

My interest is with the poets who love to work away from disturbing noises. Some poets love to internalize the verse while in the bush far away from all artificial noises. They sit on a rock or under a tree, listening to the verse and absorbing it like air into the body. Others work alone in a locked room without noise. They will be in the world of their own. Yet others internalize their verse while walking silently on the road, speaking to themselves.

When a verse is internalized its presentation becomes easy. Every body part of the performer knows when to be involved in the delivery of the verse. The hands know when to move, legs when to walk and the voice when to rise and fall. When the verse is internalized no line or single word can escape the mouth. The whole body communicates well, it responds naturally to the rhythm of the verse.

This done, the performer is guaranteed of enjoying on stage in front of people. The rewards of this hard work also follow the performer. Till next time, rega kazwi ako! (Let the voice flow out).